Comments by
AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO and DANIEL PALLADINO
700 Club - Long-running Christian news show hosted by Pat Robertson.
(Ep. 19)
The Actors Studio guy - James Lipton, host of Bravos Inside the
Actors Studio, is the son of Lawrence Lipton, author of Holy Barbarians.
(Ep. 14)
Adrian Zmed - Star of TJ Hooker and the host of Dance Fever. (Ep. 13)
Amazing Kreskin - Television magician and mentalist. (Ep. 8)
Andy Griffith - Title character in the The Andy Griffith Show,
a TV series set in the provincial town of Mayberry. (Ep. 6)
Annie Oakley - An Old West markswoman who gained notoriety
with Buffalo Bills Wild West Show. (Ep. 2)
Art of War - Book by Sun Tzu, whose military strategy and tactics
have been adopted for use in the world of business, sports,
and politics. (Ep. 10)
Audrey Hepburn - Actress who appeared in Roman Holiday and
Breakfast at Tiffanys. (Ep. 21)
The Banger Sisters - 2002 film starring Susan Sarandon and
Goldie Hawn as middle-aged former rock groupies. (Ep. 9)
Billy Carter - Controversial outspoken younger brother
of former President Jimmy Carter. (Ep. 16)
Biosphere - Glass enclosed complex designed to
simulate the Earths environment. (Ep. 18)
Blue Crush - 2002 film about female surfers,
starring Kate Bosworth. (Ep. 5)
Blue Velvet - David Lynch film heralded for its unflinching weirdness. (Ep. 7)
Bobby Brady - Character played by Mike Lookinland in
The Brady Bunch. (Ep. 7)
Bohemian Rhapsody - Operatic rock song by Queen. (Ep. 4)
Boo Radley - Strange, lurking loner character from Harper Lees
To Kill a Mockingbird. (Ep. 6)
Boxing Helena - 1993 film directed by David Lynchs daughter, about
a surgeon who cuts off a former girlfriends arms and legs and imprisons
her in his home. (Ep. 7)
Brat Pack - Group of young actors in the eighties, including Rob Lowe,
Ally Sheedy, and Emilio Estevez. (Ep. 3)
Brazil - Futuristic film directed and co-written by Monty Python member
Terry Gilliam. (Ep. 18)
Bunny Ranch - A legal brothel in Nevada. (Ep. 14) Amy: I proudly
wear their I feel whore-a ble tee-shirt to every family establishment
I can find.
Charo - Latin American singer/dancer/actress and recent cast member
of VH1s reality series The Surreal Life. (Ep. 13)
 Cheech and Chong - Comedy team of Cheech Marin and
Tommy Chong. (Ep. 10)
Cinemax at Night - Subscription cable channel known
for broadcasting racier fare. (Ep. 19)
Columbo - Slovenly detective played by
Peter Falk on the series of the same name. (Ep. 14)
Come back, Shane- Little boys plea in the 1950s western Shane. (Ep. 2)
Connie Chung - TV personality known for her softball interviews,
was once Dan Rathers co-anchor on the CBS Evening News, and
is married to Maury Povich. (Ep. 1)
Cousins, identical cousins... - The theme song to
The Patty Duke Show. (Ep. 6)
Daisy Buchanan - Object of Jay Gatsbys affection. (Ep. 11)
Daniel Day Lewis cobbling shoes - Daniel Day Lewis had quit acting
to become a cobbler before appearing in Gangs of New York. (Ep. 16)
Danny Gans - Comedian, impressionist, and entertainment staple
in Las Vegas. (Ep. 3)
Dead Kennedys - San Francisco punk band formed in 1978 known
for their political beliefs mixed with humor. (Ep. 3)
Deenie - Judy Blume novel about a young girl diagnosed with scoliosis.
(Ep. 6) Amy: Judy Blume was my Tolstoy. Deenie was my Anna
Karenina. And F orever was the first pseudo dirty book I ever read.
Dick Van Dyke - Actor of stage, film and TV, his credits include
Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Dick Van Dyke Show and
Diagnosis Murder. (Ep. 18)
Dogtown - Skateboarders nickname for the rough neighborhood
of Venice Beach, California. (Ep. 3)
Don Ho - Hawaiian performer known for the song
Tiny Bubbles. (Ep. 13)
The Donner Party - Group of settlers who were trapped in a
blizzard in the Sierra Nevada mountains and resorted to cannibalism
to survive. (Ep. 8)
Duane from Annie Hall - Christopher Walken plays Duane,
a strange man who confides in Woody Allen his desire to drive into
oncoming traffic. (Ep. 6)
Ed McMahon - Television personality known from
The Tonight Show, Star Search, and Alpo commercials. (Ep. 22)
Edgar Degas - 19th century French painter and sculptor.
(Ep. 2)
Elaine Stritch - Broadway actress who won a Tony in 2002
for her one-woman show, Elaine Stritch at Liberty. (Ep. 14)
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test - Book by Tom Wolfe about the
psychedelic adventures of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. (Ep. 6)
Encyclopedia Brown - Boy detective of juvenile literature who
solves cases in the town of Idaville. (Ep. 14)
Epilady - Grooming device for women that rips hair out by
the roots. (Ep. 13)
Evening at the Improv - Television program featuring stand-up
comedians. (Ep. 4)
Farrelly Brothers - Directors of gross-out comedies Theres Something
About Mary and Kingpin. (Ep. 20)
Felicity - Television drama series about a plucky young girl of the
same name and her adventures as she attends college at a fictional
university in New York City. (Ep. 21)
Footloose - 1984 film starring Kevin Bacon in a town without
dancing. (Ep. 20)
For Keeps - In this 1988 film, Molly Ringwald faced
the trouble of teenage pregnancy. (Ep. 6)
Frank at the Sands - Frank Sinatra released a record of
a 1966 concert at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, backed up by
Quincy Jones and Count Basie. (Ep. 9)
French Skating Judges - At the 2002 Winter Olympics, a French
judge was accused of misconduct over a decision in the Pairs ice skating
competition. (Ep. 2) Amy:The next best thing to Tonya Harding.
George Michael - Pop star arrested for engaging in a lewd act in
a Beverly Hills, CA public restroom. (Ep. 8)
Gidget and Moondoggie - In a series of popular films,
Gidget was a girl surfer who dated beach bum Moondoggie. (Ep. 10)
Ginger Rogers - Actress and dancer known for her musicals with
Fred Astaire. (Ep. 21)
The Glad Man - Glad garbage bags commercial, featured a man known
as The Glad Man. (Ep. 9)
Gloria Estefan - Pop singer and former lead singer for The Miami
Sound Machine. (Ep. 8)
Gore Vidal - Novelist and essayist who, at the time, lived in Italy. (Ep. 21)
Graydon Carter - Editor of Vanity Fair. (Ep. 13)
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgeralds 1925 novel about Jay Gatsby,
who throws glamorous parties while pining for a married woman. (Ep. 11)
Haight-Ashbury - Intersection in San Francisco that
became a gathering place for the growing mid-sixties
youth culture. (Ep. 6)
Hank Williams - Influential country singer known for writing songs
about his troubled life. (Ep. 17)
Harry Thomason - Hollywood producer and close friend of
Bill Clinton. (Ep. 1)
Heather Mills - Wife of Paul McCartney, and an amputee, Mills is known
for her charity work involving supplying prosthetics to the needy. (Ep. 8)
Hee-Haw Honeys - Spin-off of the country music comedy show
Hee Haw, Honeys was set in a truckstop and starred Kathie Lee Johnson
(aka Kathie Lee Gifford). (Ep. 3)
 Helmut Newton - German fashion photographer known
for his work in Vogue magazine. (Ep. 2)
Hirschfeld - Famed cartoonist who would hide the name of his
daughter, Nina, in his black & white drawings. (Ep. 16)
Holmes and Yo-Yo - 1976 television series about a cop and his robot
partner. (Ep. 3)
Holy Barbarians - Book by Lawrence Lipton about the Beatnik
culture of Venice Beach in the fifties. (Ep. 14)
Howard Roark - The unflinchingly ambitious, brilliant architect is
a lead character in Ayn Rands The Fountainhead. (Ep. 7)
Howard Stern - Sherry: Maureen told me that Howard Stern said
he heard if you squat it makes the baby come out faster. Lorelai: Okay.
As long as you have a sane reason from a reliable source.
Radio shock jock who co-starred in Private Parts with Kelly Bishop.
(Ep. 13) Daniel: Howard Stern really did give this advice on
his radio show, then later played the clip from our show of us
referencing him o n his show. I believe the whole exchange tore a
hole in the space/ time continuum.
Into the Woods - Stephen Sondheim musical based on the fairy tales
of the Brothers Grimm. Adam Wylie, who plays Chilton student
Brad Langford, starred in the 2002 Broadway revival. (Ep. 16)
Ish Kabibble - Nickname of trumpeter Merwyn Bogue
who played with big band leader Kay Kyser. (Ep. 3)
Jan & Dean - 1960s surf rock duo known for the songs Little Old Lady
From Pasadena and Dead Mans Curve. (Ep. 6)
Jayne Mansfield - Blonde bombshell actress of the fifties/sixties who
died in a car crash. (Ep. 12)
Jerome Robbins - Broadway choreographer of West Side Story,
The King and I, and Fiddler on the Roof. (Ep. 16)
Jimmy Stewart - Star of the films Vertigo and The Philadelphia Story.
(Ep. 21)
John Entwistle - The Whos bass player from its founding until his
death in 2002. (Ep. 19)
John Williams - Composer of film scores, including
Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. (Ep. 11)
Johnny Bravo - Animated series on the Cartoon Network about
a blonde pompadoured tough guy. (Ep. 3)
Johnny Depp - Edward Scissorhands actor who lives in France. (Ep. 21)
Jonas Salk - Medical Scientist who invented the Polio vaccine in
the 50s, first testing it on himself, his wife and his three sons. (Ep. 14)
Judy and Vincente - Actress Judy Garland married her
Meet Me In St. Louis director Vincente Minnelli. Their
six-year marriage produced daughter Liza Minnelli. (Ep. 1)
Kenny G - Successful saxophonist who is known for his smooth
jazz albums. (Ep. 19)
Kierkegaard - 19th century Danish existential philosopher. (Ep. 8)
Korn - Nineties n metal band known for the songs Freak on a Leash
and Got the Life. (Ep. 10)
Laura Mercier - Line of cosmetics launched in 1996, designed
by makeup artist Laura Mercier. (Ep. 13)
Lawrence Welk - Big Band leader, hosted an easy-listening
variety show on television beginning in the fifties, which
is still running in repeats on public television. (Ep. 4)
Daniel: Whenever Amy and I stumble upon Th e Wel k
Show, we are compelled to watch: the old people, the disturbing
a ccen t, the muted trumpets...mesmerizing.
Lazar Wolf - Wealthy butcher in Fiddler on the Roof who wanted
to marry Tevyes daughter. (Ep. 3)
Leif Garrett - Actor and singer who had a huge female teenage
following in the 70s. (Ep. 19)
Leopold & Loeb - Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two
well-educated 19-year-olds from upper-class Chicago families, caused
a scandal when they were tried and convicted of the 1924 murder of
Bobby Franks. (Ep. 1)
Lord of the Rings DVD - Each film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy
has been released in a two-disc version, and an extended four-disc
version filled with extra behind-the-scenes features. (Ep. 14)
Amy: The reason I went to see Hidalgo. Peter Jackson owes
me seven bucks.
Louis Armstrong - Innovator of American Jazz, known
for his gravelly singing voice. (Ep. 4)
Love Story - 1970 tearjerker starring Ryan ONeal
and Ali MacGraw. McGraws character dies at the end. (Ep. 8)
Lyndon Johnson with the Senate - Former President of the
United States and Senator known for his powers of persuasion. (Ep. 14)
Marathon Man - 1976 film starring Dustin Hoffman and
Laurence Olivier. Olivier plays a Nazi dentist who performs
excruciating dental torture. (Ep. 5)
Margaret Thatcher - Britains Conservative Prime
Minister from 1979 to 1990. (Ep. 2)
Mark Twains House - Beloved house of the beloved author, it is
Daniel: It was while driving to
currently open to the public. (Ep. 15)
visit Twains house in Connecticut that we discovered the location
for the show.
Marlo Thomas - Actress known from the television series That Girl.
(Ep. 10)
Marshall Stacks - Pete Townshends desire to have the loudest amplifiers
is credited with inspiring Jim Marshall to build the first 100-watt
amplifiers, known as the Marshall Stack. (Ep. 14)
Martha Graham - American dancer and choreographer
who is widely regarded as an innovator of modern
dance. (Ep. 7)
Mary Martin - Broadway performer and star of South Pacific and
Peter Pan, she is also the mother of actor Larry Hagman. (Ep. 16)
Meyer Lansky - Lansky was a mobster who was instrumental in the
rise to power of mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel. (Ep. 2)
Michael Moores speech - At the 2003 Oscars, Moore, upon receiving
the Oscar for Best Documentary Film, caused controversy by protesting
the Bush administrations invasion of Iraq in his acceptance speech.
(Ep. 21)
Michelle Kwan - Olympic figure skater who won Silver and Bronze
medals, but never a Gold medal. (Ep. 9)
Milli Vanilli - Pop duo who created a huge scandal when it was
discovered that they did not really sing on their own recordings. (Ep. 19)
Minnie Pearl - Hee Haw comedienne known
for her trademark hat and country jokes. (Ep. 10)
Molire - 17th century French playwright and satirist, known
for his farcical story twists and turns. (Ep. 15)
Mr. Christian - Fletcher Christian was the sailor who took control
of the ship the HMS Bounty in 1789, as documented in the 1932 book
Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall.
(Ep. 11)
Natalie Wood - Actress in West Side Story and Rebel Without a Cause.
(Ep. 21)
Nathan Lane - Star of the Broadway production of The Producers. (Ep. 16)
Nell - 1994 film in which Jodie Foster plays a woman living in the woods
who speaks her own made-up language. (Ep. 1)
Neville Chamberlain - Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1937 to 1940,
he is associated with the policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany that
resulted in the 1938 Munich Agreement. (Ep. 19)
Nicholas Nickleby - Charles Dickens sixty-five chapter
novel about a young man who has to support his family.
It was also adapted as a nine-hour stage play. (Ep. 17)
Noam Chomsky - MIT linguist known internationally for his bold
Daniel: Noam Chomsky,
analysis of politics and the media. (Ep. 2)
brilliant gadfly anarchist, was close friends all his life with
Noam Pitlik, a sitcom director Ive worked with.That always amused
m e...If no one else.
Norma Desmond - Movie star who lived a life of opulence, as played by
Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard. (Ep. 14)
Norton Critical Edition - Publisher W.W. Norton & Company
has released a series of great books with comprehensive supplementary
material. (Ep. 5)
Olivia de Havilland - Actress in Gone with the Wind. (Ep. 21)
Oompa Loompas - Factory workers for Willy Wonka
in his Chocolate Factory. (Ep. 18)
Oprah, Uma - Hosting the Academy Awards, David Letterman
made a joke about introducing talk show host Oprah Winfrey to actress
Uma Thurman. Oprah, Uma. Uma, Oprah. (Ep. 6)
Oscar Wilde - Flamboyant Irish author whose final words are
said to be, Either that wallpaper goes or I do. (Ep. 1)
Othello - Shakespearean tragedy about a nobleman driven to kill his
wife after he believes shes been unfaithful. (Ep. 15)
Pamela Des Barres - Author and rock groupie known for having
relationships with Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, and Jim Morrison. (Ep. 12)
Peaches & Herb - Husband and wife R&B duo known
for the song Reunited. (Ep. 1)
Pete Best - Original drummer of The Beatles who was replaced
by Ringo Starr a few weeks before they recorded their debut single.
(Ep. 4)
Petey the dog - Dog from The Little Rascals, who sported a
distinctive black circle around his eye. (Ep. 14)
Phil Spector - Influential music producer who changed pop music
history when he created a new style of production known as the
Wall of Sound. In 2003, he was charged with the murder of actress
Lana Clarkson. (Ep. 17)
Polonius - Character in Shakespeares Hamlet who offered these words
of wisdom to his son: Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan
oft loseth both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of
husbandry. (Ep. 18)
Quasimodo - Titular hunchback in Victor Hugos The Hunchback
of Notre Dame. (Ep. 9)
Quincy - 1976 television series starring Jack Klugman as a coroner
who investigates murders. (Eps. 6 and 13)
The rabbit in Monty Python - In Monty Python and
the Holy Grail, the most foul, cruel, bad-tempered rabbit
with a vicious streak a mile wide was the protector
of the grail. (Ep. 14)
Rain Man - 1988 Barry Levinson film starring Dustin Hoffman
and Tom Cruise. Hoffman plays a savant in this film, capable
of remembering obscure details. (Ep. 10)
Rand McNally - Publisher of road maps, atlases, and travel planning
software. (Ep. 6)
Readers Digest - Popular magazine known for its abridged version
of articles and stories. (Ep. 2)
Ride with Clemenza - Reference to the character Clemenza in
The Godfather. Clemenza takes another character for a ride.
Only Clemenza returns. (Ep. 2)
Rosa Parks - Alabama seamstress who became
a civil rights figure for refusing to give her seat on
a bus to a white man. (Ep. 6)
Sabrina - 1954 Billy Wilder film starring Audrey Hepburn,
William Holden, and Humphrey Bogart. (Ep. 21)
Sanford and Son - Television series starring Redd Foxx as
a junkyard dealer. (Ep. 12)
Sara Moulton - Executive chef of Gourmet magazine and host
of Saras Secrets on the Food Network. (Ep. 13)
Sardis - Restaurant in the heart of New Yorks theater district where
actors and actresses would go after performances, often to await their
newspaper reviews. (Ep. 4)
Seor Wences - Ventriloquist born Wenceslao Moreno, known
for his character Johnny, who was a face drawn on his hand. (Ep. 7)
Shamu - Killer whale mascot of the Sea World theme parks.
(Ep. 5)
Shari Lewis - Star and creator of The Shari Lewis Show,
best known for creating the character Lamb Chop,
a sock puppet. (Ep. 17)
Shields and Yarnell - Pair of mimes who began as performers on
the streets of San Francisco and became known for appearances
on seventies variety shows. (Ep. 11)
Simone De Beauvoir - French feminist philosopher and author of
The Second Sex. (Ep. 22)
Solomon - In the Bible, Solomon was known for his great judicial
wisdom, and his baby-splitting suggestion. (Ep. 5)
Spicoli - Surfer dude character played by Sean Penn in the 1982 film
Fast Times at Ridgemont High. (Ep. 7)
Stella! - Name famously yelled out by Marlon Brandon in
A Streetcar Named Desire. (Ep. 17)
Sundance - Film festival founded by Robert Redford and held
annually in Park City, Utah. (Ep. 12)
Sunny von Blow played by Glenn Close - Sunny von Blow
was a socialite who slipped into a coma, which was blamed on an insulin
injection from husband Claus von Blow. She was portrayed by
Glenn Close in the 1990 film Reversal of Fortune. (Ep. 1)
Susan Faludi - Feminist author who has explored feminism and
gender roles in her books Backlash and Stiffed. (Ep. 15)
Tasmanian Devil - Character from the Looney Tunes cartoons. (Ep. 16)
Tattoo - Character played by diminutive actor Herve Villechaize
in the television series Fantasy Island. (Ep. 10)
Ted Bundy - Serial killer who was known to be
handsome and charming. (Ep. 7)
Ted Williams - Legendary Boston Red Sox baseball player who, upon
his death in 2002, was cryogenically frozen by his son. (Ep. 3)
Thatll do, pig - In the 1995 talking pig film Babe, Farmer Hoggett
speaks this line to the titular pig. (Ep. 10) Amy:What I want on
my t ombstone.
Thunderdome - Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was a 1985 film
starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner in a post-apocalyptic future. (Ep. 9)
Timex - Makers of watches and other timepieces
since the 1850s. (Ep. 12)
Tina Louise - Actress known for playing Ginger,
the movie star, on Gilligans Island. (Ep. 10)
Tiny Tim - Crippled son of Bob Cratchitt in Dickens
A Christmas Carol. (Ep. 7)
Tipper Gore - Wife of former Vice President Al Gore, formed
Parents Music Resource Center to fight immorality
in popular music. (Ep. 12)
Titian - 16th century Renaissance painter. (Ep. 8)
Tommy Tune - Unusually tall Broadway actor/dancer/singer/
choreographer who has been involved with The Will Rogers Follies,
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Grease. (Ep. 7)
Tovah Borgnine - Wife of actor Ernest Borgnine. (Ep. 21)
Urkel - Jaleel White played the nerdy teenage neighbor Steve Urkel
on the television series Family Matters. (Ep. 3)
Vince Foster - Assistant D.A. in the Clinton Administration who
died of a gunshot wound in 1993. His death was ruled a suicide,
although conspiracy theorists believed that there were more sinister
forces at play. (Ep. 2)
Walter Cronkite - Former host of the CBS evening news broadcast.
(Ep. 21)
Ward Cleaver, Eddie and Lumpy - Ward Cleaver was father to Wally
and the Beav in the television series Leave it to Beaver. Eddie Haskell and
Clarence Lumpy Rutherford were Wally and the Beavs friends. (Ep. 4)
Wes Craven - Director of films such as Scream, A Nightmare on
Elm Street, and The People Under the Stairs. (Ep. 9)
Wild & Crazy Guys - Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd played Jorge and
Yortuk Festrunk, Saturday Night Lives swinging Czech brothers whose
catchphrase was We are two wild and crazy guys. (Ep. 5)
Williams Sisters - Venus and Serena Williams, sisters,
are both champion tennis players. (Ep. 1)
Woodward & Bernstein - Bob Woodward and
Carl Bernstein: Washington Post reporters who broke the
Watergate scandal. (Ep. 1)
Xanadu - 1980 rollerdisco film starring Olivia Newton John and
Gene Kelly. (Ep. 11)
Z-Boys - Nickname for the Zephyr Team of skateboarders,
as featured in the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys.
(Ep. 3)
Special Thanks To
HELEN PAI LISA RANDOLPH SEAN RUSSELL
Academy Award and Oscar are registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.